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Sun May 9 22:29:47 EDT 2010
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Scripps research scientists shed light on potential treatment for Gaucher's disease - In findings that advance scientists' understanding of a whole class of inherited disorders, a team from the Scripps Research Institute has shed light on a mechanism that enables a potential treatment for Gaucher's disease and other lysosomal storage diseases.

McGill-UBC project creates mouse grimace scale to help identify pain in humans and animals - A new study by researchers from McGill University and the University of British Columbia shows that mice, like humans, express pain through facial expressions.

Suppressing activity of common intestinal bacteria reduces tumor growth - A team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers has discovered that common intestinal bacteria appear to promote tumor growths in genetically susceptible mice, but that tumorigenesis can be suppressed if the mice are exposed to an inhibiting protein enzyme.

Chemist stitches up speedier chemical reactions - University of Calgary chemist Warren Piers outlines the inner workings of the Piers catalyst in a new paper in Nature Chemistry online.

Hardship and human rights violations continue among Burma cyclone survivors - The survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma (also known as Myanmar) in May 2008, continue to face challenges in rebuilding their lives, in lack of access to relief and reconstruction efforts, and in violations of basic rights more than one year after the storm, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Emergency Assistance Team, Burma.

Drug now used to treat erectile dysfuncton may enhance delivery of herceptin to certain brain tumors - New research by scientists at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute suggests that a drug currently approved to treat erectile dysfunction may significantly enhance the delivery of the anti-cancer drug Herceptin to certain hard-to-treat brain tumors. The research, published in the journal PLoS ONE, could help doctors improve treatments for lung and breast cancers that have metastasized to the brain.

Jefferson scientists identify a new protein involved in longevity - Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University have found that the level of a single protein in the tiny roundworm C. elegans determines how long it lives.

Brain's master switch is verified by Iowa State University researcher - The protein that has long been suspected by scientists of being the master switch allowing brains to function has now been verified by Iowa State University researcher Yeon-Kyun Shin. The professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology has shown that the protein called synaptotagmin1 is the sole trigger for the release of neurotransmitters in the brain.

UT Southwestern researchers uncover Fragile X syndrome gene's role in shaping brain - Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the genetic mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, interferes with the "pruning" of nerve connections in the brain. Their findings appear in the April 29 issue of Neuron.

Words to the wise: Experts define wisdom - In 2009, Dilip V. Jeste, M.D., and Thomas W. Meeks, M.D., both professors in the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and researchers at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, published a paper proposing that sagacity might have a neurobiological basis. In the June issue of The Gerontologist and currently online, Jeste and Meeks go further, attempting to identify the central, unifying elements that define wisdom.

Mayo-led research team develop agents that keep insulin working longer - More than half a century after researchers identified a promising way to treat diabetes based on blocking the breakdown of insulin in the body, a research team led by a scientist at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have developed potent molecules that can do just that.

Mild-mannered metabolic helper rushes to fight invading viruses, researchers report - Within cells, an ancient antiviral duo can deliver a one-two knockout to thwart invading viruses, report researchers who have just unmasked the cellular sidekick that throws the first punch. The findings mean scientists must rethink the design of antiviral immunity and how the body fends off viruses of all types, including influenza and HIV.

Studies should involve more cross-cultural collaboration - Previous studies have found that the vast majority of published psychological research in the United States is based on American samples and excludes 95 percent of the world's population. Yet, these results are often generalized and taken as universal. A researcher hopes his experience will encourage more researchers to develop cross-cultural relationships.

Quality of life reduced in hospitalized vertebral fracture patients - Study results support the previously observed large decrease in quality of life that occurs as a result of vertebral fractures, from other studies. The reasons for this need further exploration, however the authors believe that the existence of co-morbidities among the hospitaliZed fracture group and higher severity of fractures are likely reasons.

Study finds post-transplant patients off steroids have fewer cardiovascular events - Post-transplant patients who have been removed from a corticosteroid regimen have fewer cardiovascular events than those patients on steroids, increasing their graft survival rates and reducing early mortality, according to study results being presented this week by University of Cincinnati transplantation researchers.

Study: Local newspapers keep politicians accountable - In areas where members of Congress get lots of ink in local newspapers, voters are more informed and representatives do more to serve local interests, according to a study to be published next week in the Journal of Political Economy. The findings also suggest that the current trend toward fewer local newspapers could make for less responsive politicians in the future.

Slimming aid from the cell laboratory? - Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have published an article in Science revealing that the COX-2 inflammation enzyme stimulates the formation of new brown fat tissue in mice. Brown fat tissue transforms energy into heat. Therefore, mice with increased COX-2 production have a higher energy consumption and are slimmer. On the basis of these results scientists might develop a novel weight loss method for pathogenic obesity.

Algae advances as a 'green' alternative for improving water quality - Algae -- already being eyed for biofuel production -- could be put to use right away to remove nitrogen and phosphorus in livestock manure runoff, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist.

Assessing the science behind health claims - The use of biomarkers is common in drug, device, and nutritional studies, but the US Food and Drug Administration has been hampered in its ability to evaluate food health claims in part because it lacks a process accepted across the regulatory, food and medical communities to assess the validity and appropriateness of these biological benchmarks.

How does ice flow? - Currently the yearly General Assembly of the European Geological Union takes place in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Olaf Eisen from the German Alfred Wegener Institute presents results from an environmentally friendly measurement method that he and his colleagues used on an Antarctic ice-shelf for the first time in early 2010. It supplies data that are input to models for the ice mass balance and thus permit better forecasting of future changes in the sea level.

Minilab can quickly identify antibiotic residues in milk, before it leaves the barn - Routine antibiotic residue tests used by the dairy industry take hours to produce a result and do not test for all antibiotics dairy cows are typically treated with. Scientists from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and LMU Munich have developed a microarray chip that identifies residues from one or more of the 14 most important antibiotics with certainty and in parallel. In conjunction with an automated minilab, this enables rapid testing of raw, unpasteurized milk.

Survey finds general internists leave practice sooner than subspecialists - A survey conducted by the American College of Physicians and the American Board of Internal Medicine found that 9 percent of all internists originally certified between 1990 and 1995, including a significantly larger proportion of general internists (17 percent) than internal medicine subspecialists (4 percent), are no longer working in general internal medicine or one of its subspecialties about a decade after their original certification by ABIM.

Sponsoring by the pharmaceutical industry can bias the results of drug studies - Drug studies financed by pharmaceutical companies frequently show positive results in favor of the sponsor. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, a research group headed by the Chairman of the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association, Professor Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, describes the influence of sponsoring on the results, protocol and quality of drugs studies.

Fatty acid to enhance anticancer drug - Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have discovered that bioavailability and efficacy of the blood cancer drug azacytidine increase when the substance is coupled to a fatty acid.

Envisat captures renewed volcanic activity - New eruptions from Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull volcano have produced a 1600 km-wide ash cloud over the Atlantic. The brownish plume, traveling east and then south, is clearly visible in stark contrast to white clouds framing this Envisat image from May 6.

GOCE satellite determines gravitational force in the Himalayas - In a May 7 session at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) general assembly in Vienna, researchers presented the first interim results of the ESA mission GOCE, the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer. Evaluations of the first data from the satellite indicate that current models of Earth's gravitational field in some regions -- the Himalayas, for example -- can be fundamentally revised. The results could contribute to better understanding of many geophysical processes.

Multiple lipomas within jejunal duplication cyst - A research team from China reported a case of 68-year-old man complaining of abdominal bloating for 10 d due to multiple lipomas arising from jejunal duplication cysts. This case highlights intestinal lipoma as an uncommon cause of adult intussusceptions, which should be included in the differential diagnosis of small intestinal obstruction and appropriate examinations should be chosen.

UN report stresses the need to provide access to clean energy to the world's poor - In a new report, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC) stresses the need to improve access to clean energy to the more than 2 billion people currently living without access to modern energy services.

Foreign migrants move within Spain for employment reasons - A team from the University of Cantabria (UC) has studied the contribution that internal migration by foreign people living in Spain made to the process of overall provincial convergence between 1996 and 2005. The main reasons for foreign migrants moving between regions were found to be primarily employment-related rather than to do with residential choice.

CE 3-D US for differentiating focal liver lesions - A research team from Japan and China examined the potential role of contrast-enhanced three-dimensional ultrasonography (CE 3-D US) in characterizing focal liver lesions. Their results showed that CE 3-D US provides a spatial perspective for liver tumor enhancement, and could help indifferentiating focal liver lesions.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphoma - A research team from South Korea evaluated the treatment outcome of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative low-grade gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma patients to offer therapeutic guidelines for such patients. Their results showed that eradication therapy may be offered as an initial treatment option even in cases of localized H. pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphoma.

Is it necessary to prevent venous thrombosis after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma? - A research team from Italy assessed the possible effect of different prophylactic strategies in the prevention of venous thrombosis in a large series of cirrhotic patients who underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. They suggest that prophylaxis is safe in cirrhotic patients without esophageal varices; the real need for prophylaxis should be better assessed.

A potential therapeutic target for colon cancer - A research team from China investigated the association between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) gene polymorphism 34 C>G and colorectal cancer (CRC) through a meta-analysis. They found PPAR-γ 34 C>G is associated with colon cancer risk, but not associated with CRC and rectal cancer risk.

42,226 daily temperature readings, and counting - Every day since Jan. 1, 1896, an observer has hiked to a spot at the Mohonk Preserve, a resort and nature area some 90 miles north of New York City, to record daily temperature and other conditions there. It is a rarity: a weather station that has never missed a temperature recording; never been moved; never seen its surroundings change; and never been tended by anyone but a short, continuous line of family and friends, using the same methods, for 114 years.

Transplanted adult stem cells provide lasting help to injured hearts - Human adult stem cells injected around the damage caused by a heart attack survived in the heart and improved its pumping efficiency for a year in a mouse model, researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online ahead of publication in Circulation Research.Injection of a patient's own adult stem cells into the heart has shown some efficacy in assisting recovery after a heart attack in early human clinical trials. But how they work has been unknown, until now.

Nuclear matrix proteins contribute to differentiation of gastric cancer cells - A research team from China identified specific nuclear matrix proteins related to gastric cancer cells and provided further scientific evidences for the mechanism of gastric cancer cell proliferation and differentiation. The aberrant expressions and intracellular redistributions of nuclear matrix proteins before and after hexamethylene bisacetamide treatment indicated that nuclear matrix proteins play a key role in the differentiation of gastric cancer cells.

Coffee and soft drinks have little or no association with colon cancer risk - Drinking even large amounts of coffee and sugar-sweetened, carbonated soft drinks is not associated with the risk of colon cancer according to a large study published online May 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Gender-specific disease risks start in the womb - Pregnancy places competing demands on a mother's physiology: her body wants to produce a healthy baby but not at the expense of her own health. Therefore, she passes so-called "imprinted genes" on to her child to protect her body from excessive demands from the child. Genes inherited from the father however aim at getting as many resources for the fetus as possible. This battle of genes might be at the root of later life diseases.

Older people in assisted-living facilities sleep poorly - In a study of residents of assisted-living facilities in Los Angeles showed that 65 percent had clinically significant sleeping problems and that poor sleep was associated with declining quality of life and increased depression over a six month follow-up period. This study is published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Interesting stories at the IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference - The following abstracts will be presented at the IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels.

MRI: Just as effective as MR arthrography in the diagnosis of hip labral tears - Conventional magnetic resonance imaging may be an effective alternative to minimally invasive MR arthrography for the diagnosis of hip labral tears, a common cause of hip pain, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif.

Unlike CT, standard X-rays don't detect the majority of pelvic injuries, study suggests - Computed tomography scans are superior to standard radiography (X-rays) for the detection of pelvic fractures, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. CT scanning combines special X-ray equipment with sophisticated computers to produce multiple images of pictures of the inside of the body.

Lessons from the principal's office - The majority of students (about 80 percent) are never sent out of class to the principal's office or it happens only once in a year and why children are referred changes as they age, according to an article in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by SAGE).

Endometrial stem cells could repair brain cells damaged by Parkinson's disease - Stem cells derived from the endometrium (uterine lining) and transplanted into the brains of laboratory mice with Parkinson's disease appear to restore functioning of brain cells damaged by the disease, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

In-store slack: Consumers often plan for unplanned purchases - Straying from the grocery list can yield some surprises in your shopping cart, but not necessarily in your wallet, according to University of Pittsburgh researchers and a coresearcher from Baylor University who have coauthored a new study. The researchers found that shoppers often expect to buy a certain number of unplanned items, and most have a fairly accurate estimate as to how much they will spend on them.

ONR scientist generates 'mud power' for NPR radio audience - NPR's "Science Friday" segment gives Dr. Linda Chrisey, a leading scientist at the US Office of Naval Research, a platform to share how researchers are generating electricity from bacteria found in mud and wastewater.

Stem cells: In search of a master controller - With thousands of scientists across the globe searching for ways to use adult stem cells to fight disease, there's a growing emphasis on finding the "master regulator" that guides the day-to-day operations of stem cells. New research from Rice University and the University of Cambridge suggests that a closely connected trio of regulatory proteins fulfills that role in hematopoietic stem cells, the self-renewing cells the body uses to make new blood cells.

Feeling stressed? So is the poplar - Research led by Michigan Technological University scientists has identified the molecular mechanism that poplar trees use to adapt to changing soil conditions, as well as some of the genes that turn the process on or off.

Trapping giant Rydberg atoms for faster quantum computers - In an achievement that could help enable fast quantum computers, University of Michigan physicists have built a better Rydberg atom trap. Rydberg atoms are highly excited, nearly ionized giants that can be thousands of times larger than their ground-state counterparts.

Sequencing of first frog genome sheds light on treating disease - A pair of UH researchers contributed to the assembly of the first comprehensive DNA sequence of an amphibian genome, which will shed light on the study of embryonic development, with implications for preventing birth defects and more effectively treating many human diseases. There work was published in a cover story in a recent issue of Science magazine.

Neanderthal genome yields insights into human evolution and evidence of interbreeding - After extracting ancient DNA from the 40,000-year-old bones of Neanderthals, scientists have obtained a draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome, yielding important new insights into the evolution of modern humans. Among their findings is evidence that shortly after early modern humans migrated out of Africa, some of them interbred with Neanderthals, leaving bits of Neanderthal DNA sequences scattered through the genomes of present-day non-Africans.

Complete Neanderthal genome sequenced - Researchers have produced the first whole genome sequence of the 3 billion letters in the Neanderthal genome, and the initial analysis suggests that up to 2 percent of the DNA in the genome of present-day humans outside of Africa originated in Neanderthals or in Neanderthals' ancestors.

CSHL team helps Neandertal Genome Project compare differences between Neandertals and modern humans - A CSHL team has succeeded in obtaining important information from a tiny quantity of contaminated Neandertal DNA, amplifying and sequencing only those portions (exons) that code for proteins. This work, performed with Svante Paabo as part of the Neandertal Genome Project, revealed that Neandertals hardly differ at all from modern humans, at the level of the proteins produced by their full set of genes -- a result Hannon calls "astonishing."

Neandertal genome sequence published in Science - An international research team has sequenced the Neandertal genome, using pill-sized samples of bone powder from three Neandertal bones found in a cave in Croatia. The results appear in the May 7 issue of the journal Science, which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.

Mayo Clinic study reveals neighborhood asthma risks - Mayo Clinic researchers recently released study data showing children who lived near major highway or railroad intersections have higher diagnoses of asthma. The researchers used this study to show how neighborhood environment is a risk factor in understanding the development of pediatric asthma. The study appears in a recent addition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Social context may be a better indicator of obesity disparities than race - When analyzing obesity disparities among women, socioeconomic status and social context may be more important than race, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions.

The biggest winners: Summer campers - A residential summer weight-loss camp markedly improved obese children's health, a study in the April edition of Pediatrics reports. A Saint Louis University physician found the camp improved children's weight, body mass index, physical fitness and blood pressure.

Endometrial stem cells restore brain dopamine levels - Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease. The finding raises the possibility that women with Parkinson's disease could serve as their own stem cell donors. Similarly, because endometrial stem cells are readily available and easy to collect, banks of endometrial stem cells could be stored for men and women with Parkinson's disease

Same disease, different stem cell models - In the last three years, a new technique for reprogramming adult cells has given scientists an easier and less controversial way to harness the power of embryonic-like stem cells to study human disease from its earliest beginnings in hopes of gleaning new insights into the root causes of disease and developing new therapies.

Study looks at gorillas, elephants and logging in Congo - The Wildlife Conservation Society announced the results of the first-ever evaluation of a large, "landscape-wide" conservation approach to protect globally important populations of elephants and great apes.

Peruvian tectonic plates move by earthquakes and non-seismic slip - Just a few years ago, Dan Farber happened to be doing field work in Peru with students when the 8.0 Pisco earthquake struck. As a scientist working in the active tectonics of the Peruvian Andes -- funded through the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics -- Farber was asked by colleagues if he could participate in a rapid response team to map the damage of the seismic deformation and install a system of geodetic stations.

Lake-bed trails tell ancient fish story - The wavy lines and squiggles etched into a slab of limestone found near Fossil Butte National Monument are prehistoric fish trails, made by Notogoneus osculus as it fed along a lake bottom, says Emory University paleontologist Anthony Martin.

Peptides may hold 'missing link' to life - Emory University scientists have discovered that simple peptides can organize into bi-layer membranes. The finding suggests a "missing link" between the pre-biotic Earth's chemical inventory and the organizational scaffolding essential to life.

More than half of liver patients experience neurocognitive impairments - Fifty-four percent of liver patients also display neurocognitive impairments such as short term memory loss, a study found. The average score of impaired patients was lower than that of patients with early stage Alzheimer's disease.

University experts prove British summer is advancing - The onset of summer in England has been advancing since the mid 1950s, research from a pair of University of Sheffield geographers has shown. The investigations, conducted by Amy Kirbyshire, a former undergraduate of the university, and Professor Grant Bigg, head of the department of geography at the university, examined records of the first blooming date of early summer flowering plants (phenology) and the timing of first occurrences of warm "summer" temperatures -- events linked with the onset of summer.

Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory May 2010 - In combat situations, communication is critical, and a system being developed would put US forces in command. Catching violators while keeping safe truckers on schedule is the focus of a program and system recently installed at weigh stations in South Carolina and Mississippi. Each year ORNL hosts about 3,000 guest researchers. Experiments using band-excitation scanning probe microscopy are providing clues to the origins of unique properties of spin and cluster glasses, phase-separated oxides, polycrystalline ferroelectrics and ferromagnets.

Teen girls talk more to parents about their dating habits than do boys - When it comes to talking to parents about most dating issues, teen girls tend to disclose more than boys, and both sexes generally prefer to talk to their mothers. However, a new study found that girls and boys are equally close-mouthed about issues involving sex and what they do with their dates while unsupervised. And in this case, teens were no more eager to talk to their mothers than they were their fathers.

ORNL technology raises bar, lowers cost for groundwater contaminant sensors - Long-term continuous monitoring of groundwater where contaminants are present or suspected could be streamlined with a technology developed at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

A 'fat forward' research tool - A new software-based tool from Tel Aviv University's Prof. Amit Gefen fits onto a microscope like a pair of goggles, allowing a scientist to measure a broad number of physical parameters in the Petri dish while investigating fat cells. They might explore how fat cells change when given insulin, or how they react when treated with new experimental drug compounds.

Breast cancer metastasis increases after estrogen and progestin hormone therapies, MU study finds - In studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, evidence has been found that estrogen and progestin in hormone therapies increase the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Now, a University of Missouri study has found that progestins can also increase the chance of the cancer metastasizing, or spreading to the lymph nodes.

Information on development cooperation occupies 3.5 percent of the contents of European newspapers - Contrary to what is widely believed, leading newspapers do regularly publish information on development cooperation, although the space dedicated to these issues is generally small in relation to the total of news published since it only occupies 3.5 percent. Greater coverage of development cooperation can be seen under the sections of international news, reaching a total of 14.8 percent. These are some of the conclusions of a study carried out by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.

Researchers create software for robot to improve rescue missions - In disaster emergencies, such as the recent West Virginia mine explosion or the earthquake in Haiti, it is often unsafe for responders to enter the scene, prolonging the rescue of potential survivors. Now, University of Missouri researchers have developed software for a robot with a laser sensor that can enter dangerous structures to assess the structure's stability and locate any remaining people. This technology could lead to safer and more efficient rescue missions.

Clues to neuronal health found in tree-like nerve cell structures - Using the small, round worm C. elegans, researchers have discovered how elaborate dendritic trees (tree-like nerve structures) are formed and maintained. Possible applications include treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and repair of injuries in which neurons are damaged.

Potential new drug target to combat Kaposi's sarcoma - Research from the University of Leeds has identified how the virus which causes Kaposi's sarcoma replicates and spreads -- opening a door to a possible new treatment for the disease.

Herschel reveals the hidden side of star birth - The first scientific results from ESA's Herschel infrared space observatory are revealing previously hidden details of star formation. New images show thousands of distant galaxies furiously building stars and beautiful star-forming clouds draped across the Milky Way. One picture even catches an "impossible" star in the act of formation.

New 'metamaterial' device may lead to see-through cameras and scanners - Devices that can mimic Superman's X-ray vision and see through clothing, walls or human flesh are the stuff of comic book fantasy, but a group of scientists at Boston University has taken a step toward making such futuristic devices a reality. The researchers will present their device at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS: 2010), being held May 16-21 in San Jose, Calif.

Caught on tape: Muscle stem cells captured on video by MU researcher - Now, University of Missouri researchers have used time-lapse photography to document satellite cell movements and behaviors when they interact with their "host" myofiber. Scientists hope that if they can understand more about what satellite cells do in healthy muscle, obstacles to cell or gene therapies for muscular dystrophy might be overcome.

Long-term use of certain contraception injections associated with increased fracture risk - Study shows that DMPA, a commonly used injectible contraceptive, is associated with higher risk of bone fracture when used alone, and not in combination with estrogens.

Nationwide study: 1 in 4 women show ambivalence toward pregnancy - The results surprised researchers, and could reshape how doctors approach women's health care.

Age, ethnicity and environment impact on risk of falls in elderly men - A study presented today at the World Congress on Osteoporosis 2010 shows that among elderly men the risk of falling, and thereby breaking a bone, is influenced by age. Most significantly, it also suggests that ethnicity and environment play a role in the risk of falling.

Ancient leaves help researchers understand future climate - Potential climate change caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide might be better understood by examining fossil plant remains from millions of years ago, according to biogeochemists. The types of carbon within the leaves can serve as a window into past temperatures and environmental conditions.

Young people with inflammatory bowel diseases are at increased risk of fracture - A team of scientists from the University Hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne have shown that young people with inflammatory bowel diseases have low bone mass and poor bone architecture compared to healthy people of the same age, placing them at increased risk of fracture.

HealthMap surveillance efforts illustrate global epidemiology of H1N1 spread - An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reviews the H1N1 surveillance efforts of HealthMap -- an online disease-tracking and mapping tool developed by researchers in the Informatics Program at Children's Hospital Boston -- and details the ability of the technology to support traditional public health infrastructures.

Leading international climate experts build food security in the face of climate change - Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security is a large-scale 10-year research initiative which, from its start in 2010, will seek solutions to how to adapt the world's agricultural areas to a different climate with new conditions for production and agriculture and help reduce agriculture's emission of greenhouse gases. The Secretariat for CCAFS is placed at LIFE -- Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen. CCAFS will primarily focus on three regions: South Asia, West Africa and East Africa.

ARS scientists in North Dakota help improve potato storage capabilities - Agricultural Research Service scientists in North Dakota are evaluating the storage properties of promising new potato varieties that could greatly improve potato quality for growers throughout the United States.

The LifeGene project provides unique insight into the causes of disease - The unique resources available in the Nordic region, such as civic registration numbers and the registries of genetically informative populations and health outcomes, make it an epidemiological goldmine. The LifeGene project is being coordinated by the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet to take advantage of Sweden's competitive edge in this field. Today, LifeGene is being launched into the international scientific scene at BIO 2010 in Chicago, the world's largest biotech conference.

Banks and intelligence services are recommended to communicate to detect Al Qaeda's financing - A study conducted at the University of Granada revealed that the measures established by the Security Council of the United Nations -- based on asset freeze orders -- failed to disrupt Al Qaeda's financing. Since its founding, this terrorist group has used a number of mechanisms for raising funds from financial facilitators, charities and corporations.

Shape up the quick way - If you thought the best way to lose and maintain weight was the slow and steady approach, think again. A new study by Lisa Nackers and colleagues, from the University of Florida in the US, suggests that the key to long-term weight loss and maintenance is to lose weight quickly, not gradually, in the initial stages of obesity treatment. Their findings1 are published online in Springer's International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

World record in current intensity achieved with distribution cables - Researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, and the firms Labein Tecnalia and Nexans, coordinated by Endesa, have developed the most advanced and powerful conductivity cable in the world. This prototype measures 30 meters and was made using superconducting material. The cable surpasses the record in current intensity (3,200 Ampers RMS) and can transport an electrical charge five times greater than a conventional copper cable of the same dimensions, thus reducing energy loss by half.

Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma 12 years after the initial diagnosis - A research team from Hong Kong presented an unusual patient with a solitary recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the right kidney 12 years after the initial diagnosis. They illustrated the importance of considering late recurrence in patients with a history of HCC and the management of these metastases.

Hepcidin-25 in human saliva, bile, ascitic and pleural fluid - A research team from United Kingdom described the use of radioimmunoassay to demonstrate and measure hepcidin-25 in various biological fluids. They provided evidence for the first time of the presence of hepcidin in human saliva, bile, ascitic and pleural fluid.

Experiences to learn from the volcanic eruption - On May 2-7, 7,000 researchers from all of Europe gather in Vienna for European Geosciences Union. This is a great opportunity to exchange information and experiences on the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano. A scientist from Risoe DTU seized the opportunity and organized a special session at the conference.

New atherosclerosis vaccine gives promising results - A new study by researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the immune defense's T cells can attack the "bad" LDL cholesterol and thereby cause an inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. By producing a vaccine against the T cell receptors, the researchers have managed to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis in animals. The study is presented in the Journal of Experimental Medicine and is expected to be of significance to the treatment of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Radio tags could save lives after earthquakes - Radio frequency identification, RFID, could be used in the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake to save lives, according to new research published in the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development.

USGS science picks - In this edition of Science Picks, learn why it seems like the world is experiencing more earthquakes than normal. Also, see how easy it is to become a citizen scientist, and watch a new USGS movie to learn why the Mojave Desert tortoise is endangered. You'll also find information about major flooding this spring, dust from Africa that is potentially harming coral in the Caribbean, how scientists are using satellite technology to track wildlife, and much more.

Americans missing out on phytonutrients associated with bone health - Americans who fall short in meeting their daily fruit and vegetable intakes based on government guidelines are also likely to fall short in common bone-building nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, according to a newly released report by the Nutrilite Health Institute called America's Phytonutrient Report: Bone Health by Color.

If only a robot could be more like a cockroach - Case Western Reserve University researchers record neural activity in an insect for the first time, and find a link between the part of the brain that processes outside information and changes in behavior.

Newborn and carrier screening for spinal muscular atrophy now possible, claim scientists - Scientists in Ohio studying spinal muscular atrophy have concluded that the technology now exists to carry out nationwide screening of newborn children and pregnant mothers. The study, published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, reveals that effective screening may allow parents to find proactive treatments before the symptoms become irreversible.

Jefferson: Mechanical bowel preps offer no clinical benefit for pancreaticoduodenectomy - A research team from the department of surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University has concluded MBPs offer no clinical benefit to patients undergoing a pancreaticoduodenectomy. The results are set to appear in the August 2010 edition of the journal Surgery.

Chromosome 'glue' surprises scientists - Proteins called cohesins ensure that newly copied chromosomes bind together, separate correctly during cell division, and are repaired efficiently after DNA damage. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found that cohesins are needed in different concentrations for their different functions. This discovery helps to explain how certain developmental disorders, arise without affecting cell division essential to development. The research was made possible by a new technique developed by the scientists.